Category: growing every season

We’re back!

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn growing every season1 Comment

We ran into a little difficulty on our return flights from London on Tuesday morning 4:00am, when our 12:15pm flight was cancelled, but it turned out to be for the best. We had booked our Covid tests, required for re-entry to the US which is stupid, for 8:30am at the airport and though we would have had the results in time for the flight, we would not have made it through security, baggage drop, etc. without a lot of stress. As it was, we caught a 3:15pm flight and had some lunch, bought some souvenirs at Heathrow. We arrived at DFW about 7:30 to find that our Eville-bound flight was delayed, giving us more time to navigate our way to the gate, but we didn’t make it home until 11:30am — about 25 hours after I woke up in London.

I was pretty pooped yesterday, but managed to get my tomatoes in the ground. I’m waiting to put out the bell peppers and basil until the predicted storms pass. No hurry, as we are supposed to have beautiful weather by Mothers’ Day and all of next week. I’m stocked with seeds, ready to dig…

Saturday is the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby, so it’s time to do some stretegery and calculate the winner. We can’t just bet the Baffert horse this year, so it’s a little more challenging. Historically I’ve made more winning wagers on the Fillies, so I’ve got to focus first on tomorrow’s Oaks, also in its 148th year. I have been spending the same $$ for years now, managing to eek out a profit for quite a while, but last year nearly wiped me out. This is my year, though…

On our last evening in London, we took a quick walk around Kensington Gardens, through Queens Gate past the Prince Albert Memorial to the Peter Pan Statue near the Serpentine, then back to Round Pond and Kensington Palace, finishing up exiting at Queens Gate. It was a lovely way to end our trip. The video only takes a minute…

Peace

Plantin’ o’ the green…

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn growing every season4 Comments

My family are Irish by my great-grandmother, Kathleen Kinkade, a Most-Honored Ancestor, and we attribute most of our talent, smarts, and wit to our Irish DNA.

Have you noticed, though, that most of our cherished Irish traditions are actually American? Surely the Irish-Americans have been involved, but the wearin’ o’ the green in rivers and beer is all-American, as are the parades and excessive drinking. In Old Ireland, the taverns were all closed and the churches were open for “celebration”. It wasn’t until 1995 that Dublin organized a parade (NYC’s is still bigger) and week-long festival to attract tourists.

Leprechauns, of course, are real, as are fairies. My grandie asked me last week if I believed there was a pot of gold at a rainbow’s end. I cannot prove it one way or the other, but that’s the magic of leprechauns, dwarf elves, usually shoe cobblers, who love a good practical joke. Though they originated in Ireland, many emigrated to our country over the years and we now have a sizeable population who live peacefully amongst us. It’s true with fairies, also, who used some family-chain-migration to populate our wooded areas. I’m sure there is a fine Leprechaun living in our woods, but he prefers his solitude and I respect that. Our fairies are definitely Irish, as I’ve heard the sound of their dancing in the grove.

My traditions are corned beef and cabbage, in the crockpot right now, and planting peas. Planting peas on St. Patrick’s day is supposed to bring luck; I guess most celebratory traditions are to bring Luck, aren’t they? I do it because it’s a good time to get cool-weather crops started, even in cold years.

This year we’ve cultivated our newest garden bed and it’s ready for some early crops before we use it for melons this summer. The area is 3.5′ x 16′; beets and carrots will be sown in the front 12″, and spinach and radishes in successive plantings in the middle 12″. The peas will go up against the trellis along the back 6″.

I’ve never grown beets or carrots well, trying several years ago with absolutely nothing to show for it. I’m determined to bring in a crop this year! My peas don’t always do well, either, but I usually get Something for my efforts. I must confess, in case you didn’t know, I can’t control the weather…

But we’ve got a beautiful day here today! There’s lots of good Irish music to play while we work –it’s more of a “Whisky in the Jar” day than a “Danny Boy” day, and I believe some Irish beverages are in order.

My NYC Irish Dancers have been Busy this week, marching in parades and performing in bars, country clubs, meetings… For your St. Patrick’s Day pleasure, here’s 5 minutes of fierce Irish Dancing from 2020 starring Emma and Eliza O’Casey Jose’…

Peace

Autumn Garden Journal #2

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2019, Autumn at Sonnystone Acres, growing every season, Photos1 Comment

Yesterday I slept in, lulled back to sleep by the relentless rain.  It carried on all day and by mid-afternoon had morphed into a Big Wind that littered the ground with branches and leaves. We had some Strong Gusts and I’m curious to see if any trees came down in the woods.   By sunset, we could see the sun and today should be okay.

These pictures were taken Friday, Before the Storm…

The roses are blooming away.  The purple coneflower is still a bird-magnet.

All that’s left of the edible garden:  Pineapple Sage and Asparagus ferns.

The birds have been frolicking in the bird bath. I so enjoyed watching that I didn’t catch a shot of them splashing around…

It’s predicted that Jack Frost will arrive to paint our trees their best oranges, reds, and yellows on Halloween.  I love his work and the trees are primed…

Keep on Growing…

Outside

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2019, growing every season, Spring at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-Up1 Comment

We’ve thrown ourselves into the Garden work–my Favorite time of Year!  We’ve cleaned all of the garden beds, the garden shed, and the back porch.  Casey added 4 feet of space to my squash bed and made another 2’x4′ bed to connect two rows…

Ronnie’s Fruit Stand, aka Variety Village, has started their weekly truck deliveries of plants.  The ladies who work there are like old friends and we’re always so happy to be seeing each other again.  I brought home some liatris, garden phlox, echinacea, marigolds, pinks…  I just had to buy Something!

We put a lot of time into our Outside Space and it’s a joy, but it is beyond joy–it’s veritable Awe!– when I walk down toward the Thoughtful Spot and marvel at Mother Nature’s Garden…

I’ll be posting weekly over at Growing Every Season now.  In addition to our usual gardens, we have Big Plans for a garden using only native plants that nourish our bird friends (not the Turkeys, though).  I hope you’ll visit when you can!

Peace

 

 

Sprung

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2018, growing every season, Spring at Sonnystone1 Comment

Spring is here!!  I’ve been outside—OUTSIDE!!!  For so long I have sat by the fire, imagining what all I would do as soon as it warmed up…  I was almost overwhelmed, wanting to do everything!!  But I have calmed down…

I planted seeds:  peas, carrots, beets, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and mustard.  My zucchini and yellow squash have been set out.  Cilantro has been planted.  Casey planted the asparagus.

We had to move the 4 leftover rose bushes out of the veggie garden where they had spent the winter.   I moved around some daisies in the north garden to make room,  and it’s rather full now.

 The lawn was a sea of flowers, but the dandelions were all puff-balls, so we managed to mow just before the rains.

 

My containers are ready, and I’m going to fill them with lavender, rosemary, basil, and whatever I come up with, while it rains the next couple of days.  (it’s a Warm Rain, not even Snain, nowhere close to snow)

I’m just giddy… Welcome, glad Spring!

 

Peace